Colombo: Sri Lanka’s plans to construct the ‘world’s tallest Christmas Tree’ ran into a glitch after the archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who is promoting an austere and spiritual Christmas, declared the initiative as “wasteful”.

Sources on Wednesday said that the plans were permanently abandoned to build the 325ft tree reportedly funded by the Arjuna Ranatunga Welfare Fund and costing a total of around 12m SL rupees. According to reports almost half of the total cost of making the tree, mainly out of iron and wire mesh, was already spent as the tree is currently half built, but the balance of the money is to be used for charity, in accordance with the wishes of the Sri Lankan Catholic church.

The tree was to be set up in the popular recreational public space of the Galle Face Green, Colombo’s sea front urban park. It was scheduled to be completed before Christmas eve and displayed for 10 days beginning on Christmas Day. Arjuna Ranatunga, former Sri Lankan cricketer is Minister of Ports and Shipping. Ministry sources confirmed that the setting up of the tree has been stopped.

Addressing a press conference Cardinal Ranjith declared this week that the Catholic Church was against spending large amounts of money on a Christmas tree. Instead he called for the money to be used for initiatives such as feeding of the poor and provision of scholarships for needy students.

Published in Dawn December 8th, 2016